The Avengers #8Review

It’s a good thing that the Avengers decided to greatly expand their roster, otherwise they’d be ill-equipped to deal with this Starbrand character. The core team sees fit to smash, hammer, and blast the problem, but when that proves pointless, it’s the new cosmically inclined characters like Captain Universe and Nightmask who step up to do something useful. Writer Jonathan Hickman has begun to weave an expansive tapestry with this series, but already the effectiveness of the main cast appears to be lost in the fold.

Artist Dustin Weaver makes an excellent showing in this issue as his style finds a happy middle ground between the previous flat style of Andy Kubert and the intricately detailed renderings of Jerome Opena. While it did feel like the Avengers were in a logic-defying “fight first, ask questions later” state of mind, the actual action is superb. Weaver takes what should have been a cartoonish stunt involving Hulk and Captain Marvel and turns it into an awesome display of motion and brute force. The shot of Hulk floating in space has a buoyancy to it that fills your ears with the dull void of space. That’s right, art so good it makes you hear things.

Some fans are tickled at the inclusion of New Universe characters and concepts while others aren’t sure what that is. Either way, Hickman pushes the reader into it head first, using it to mold a new mythology around the threat that we see only part of here (to see the bigger picture you’ll have to buy New Avengers).

Avengers #8 and the past few issues have suffered from being part of a long game setup -- heavy on secondary characters alluding to science-y stuff and light on character work featuring the main team -- but that doesn’t excuse its shortcomings as periodic entertainment. What good is going on a long journey if you don’t get to enjoy yourself along the way?

Joshua writes for IGN. If The Fifth Element changed your life, Darth Maul haunts your dreams, or Pokemon taught you what addiction means, then you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl or on IGN.